The present invention relates to a holder for a pager, handy phone or similar portable electronic apparatus and more particularly to a holder capable of being put on the user""s trousers or belt.
A miniature portable electronic apparatus, e.g., a pager or a handy phone is expected to be used while being carried by the user. Usually, therefore, this kind of portable apparatus is removably received in a holder including a clip. The user of the apparatus passes the user""s belt through the clip so as to carry the apparatus received in the holder. This enhances the portability of the apparatus without degrading the manipulability of the apparatus.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5-122127, for example, discloses a holder for the above application. A problem with the holder taught in this document is that it needs a number of structural elements including a body for receiving a portable apparatus, a clip for passing a belt, a pin for connecting the body and clip, a torsion coil spring, and stop members for stopping the pin. Another problem is that to assemble the holder, it is necessary to align hinges formed on the holder and clip against the action of the torsion spring, pass the pin through the hinges, and then affix the stop members to the pin. Such a procedure is difficult to perform and increases the production cost of the holder.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 6-9244 proposes a holder having a case or body and a clip implemented as a single molding for reducing the number of pats and simplifying assembly work. This, however, brings about other problems, as follows. The molding including the body and clip is not obtainable without complicating the structure of a mold and is apt to render the production of the holder more sophisticated. Moreover, when either the body or the clip is broken, the holder must be bodily discarded because the body and clip are molded integrally with each other. Discarding the body or the clip still usable is undesirable from the user""s expenses standpoint as well as from the resource standpoint.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 7-8607 and 5-65131.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a holder for a portable apparatus including a clip removably mounted to a body so as to enhance easy and efficient maintenance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a holder for a portable apparatus needing a minimum number of parts and allowing a body and a clip to be firmly assembled in a simple structure.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a holder for a portable apparatus capable of being assembled easily and rapidly and promoting easy and rapid replacement of a clip.
A holder for a portable apparatus of the present invention includes a body for removably receiving the apparatus and a clip removably mounted to the body. A guide is formed on one surface of the body and includes a pair of parallel rails. An engaging portion is included in the clip and includes a pair of ridges slidingly engageable with the rails. A locking device is provided on the guide and engaging portion for selectively locking or unlocking them to or from each other. The locking device is implemented by a recess and a lug respectively positioned between one of the rails and ridges and between the other of the rails and ridges. A slit surrounds the lug while the lug is connected to one side of the wall of the slit and elastically deformable toward and away from the recess. The recess and lug mate with each other when the engaging portion is slid into the guide.